What does Tampa Bay putting Wander Franco on administrative leave mean?
The Tampa Bay Rays shortstop is currently under investigation in the Dominican Republic for having sexual relations with minors.
While the Rays have been non-committal up to now on Wander Franco’s alleged behavior in the Dominican Republic, the team finally placed him officially on administrative leave.
MLB released a statement on Tuesday morning saying, “Per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, Wander Franco has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice as MLB continues its ongoing investigation. The administrative leave, effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. We will comment further at the appropriate time.”
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The administrative leave is by rule an initial 14-day period which may be extended by seven days with the agreement of the Players Association. After that, any extension will need to be agreed by both the league and the MLBPA.
This is the same course of action taken against former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, which in the end wound up lasting from July 2, 2021, until the following April 29, when he was suspended for 324 games. The penalty was reduced by an arbitrator to 194 games.
Ángel Darío Tejada Fabal, a prosecutor in the Dominican Republic says that an investigation in that nation is ongoing headed by a division specializing in minors and gender violence.
Social media posts made on August 13 seemed to indicate that Franco had a sexual relationship with an underage girl in the Caribbean island country.
Since then, allegations have surfaced from a second individual as well. The team have voiced their support for the process, releasing a statement saying, “We support Major League Baseball’s decision to place Wander Franco on Administration Leave. The Tampa Bay Rays are dedicated to upholding high standards of integrity both on and off the field. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans and supporters as this process unfolds. We will have no further statements on this matter until MLB completes its process.”
Wander Franco denies the allegations and in an Instagram live, his team mate and fellow Dominican José Siri could be heard yelling that this was just “people after money.” Franco has an 11-year $182 million with the Rays.